Posted on 04/05/2009 4:11:27 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
Congressional Quarterly has posted a transcript of “Fox News Sunday,” including this exchange between Chris Wallace and Newt Gingrich about the former House speaker’s conversion to Catholicism:
WALLACE: Mr. Gingrich, you have been a Baptist most of your life, and last Sunday you converted to Catholicism. Why, sir?GINGRICH: I’m not talking about this much publicly, but let me just say that I found over the course of the last decade, attending the basilica, meeting with Monsignor Rossi, reading the literature, that there was a peace in my soul and a sense of well being in the Catholic Church, and I found the mass of conversion last Sunday one of the most powerful moments of my life.
WALLACE: You have — it’s no secret — been married and divorced twice. Will you be able to participate fully in communion and all the other rites of the Catholic Church?
GINGRICH: Yes, we have done everything within the law of the church, following all of the rules of the church over the last 10 years. And it’s been a process. It’s been a very long process and something which was deeply affected, in part, by Pope Benedict XVI’s visit and the opportunity I had to sit in — as you know, my wife, Calista, sings at the basilica every Sunday, and I was allowed as a spouse to be there as part of the vespers program when the pope came. It’s been a long process.
WALLACE: And if I might ask, just briefly, what is it about the pope’s visit that led to this?
GINGRICH: I really believe, first of all, seeing the joy in his eyes, listening to his message, and I really believe that his basic statement, Christ our hope, is right. And I think much of what’s wrong with our country and with the western world is a function of looking inside ourselves, not just looking at money or looking at our wallets.
God Bless you Newt and welcome home!
Congrats to Newt and WELCOME HOME brother!
This is commensurate with his other ideas.
**GINGRICH: I’m not talking about this much publicly, but let me just say that I found over the course of the last decade, attending the basilica, meeting with Monsignor Rossi, reading the literature, that there was a peace in my soul and a sense of well being in the Catholic Church, and I found the mass of conversion last Sunday one of the most powerful moments of my life. **
Wow!
Catholic Ping!
Not your best work.
“God Bless you Newt and welcome home!”
AMEN!!
C’mon. Go check out Diego Monroy from the Basilica de Guadalupe praying with Hilary just before she heads to get the Planned Parenthood award for “Most Babies Murdered Supporter”. You guys have this thing down tight. Glad to send Newt over to help keep the consistency.
His latest wife is Catholic so he converts?
He goes where he is validated, nothing more.
This thread is about Gingrich, not the other people you mention.
I’m not Catholic but I respect Newt’s decision immensely. I don’t always agree with him and frequently think he grandstands, but he truly is a major intellect. I wish him well.
And Christ prayed with the prostitutes and tax collectors.
mental mousetrap.
Must have been a Baptist like Bubba. No truly born-again Christian could become a Catholic.
Boy are you ever bitter. That hatred must eat you up inside.
Remarks like this are precious. They highlight perfectly that one can't embrace Catholicism without engaging his intellect.
In Before Threadlock.
Hi Vlad. No bitterness, just pointing out the same ‘ol concerns about the RCC or the CC whichever you and Pete now call it.
smokinleroy wrote:
“Must have been a Baptist like Bubba. No truly born-again Christian could become a Catholic.”
the invisib1e hand responded with:
“Remarks like this are precious. They highlight perfectly that one can’t embrace Catholicism without engaging his intellect.”
the invisib1e hand, you’re much more charitable than I am. I would have said: “Remarks like this are precious. They highlight perfectly that one can’t embrace Catholicism without knowing Christ.”
Catholic Ping!
You wrote:
“Hi Vlad. No bitterness, just pointing out the same ‘ol concerns about the RCC or the CC whichever you and Pete now call it.”
No, there’s clearly bitterness there. Deny it all you like, but the hatred and bitterness come through loud and clear. And I call the Church the Catholic Church, not “RCC” nor “CC”. Since you can’t be bothered about either accuracy or precision, such a fact is meaningless to you.
...and no true Catholic ever becomes a so-called born again.
Hear, hear.
My Catholicism is such a source of strength and comfort to me, I am filled with joy that another should find it.
Guess he would rather be Catholic than be President since the GOP has never nominated a Catholic for President.
Beautiful statement
Well, you have part of that right.
In a related story,
Researchers found that 18 percent of Catholics consider themselves born-again or evangelical
All Catholics are born again in Baptism, whether they call themselves “born again” or not. It is an ontological fact, not dependent on mere labels.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: “If they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.”
Thank you for clarifying this for me!!!!! And here all this time I thought I was a born again Christian who was a Catholic. So am I born again, I have been baptized and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior or am I Catholic, seeing that I accept all that is contained in the Apostles Creed? Geeze Louise, I'm so confused!
“No truly born-again Christian could become a Catholic.”
Wrong. Every true Catholic is “born-again”, made new in Christ Jesus. That you do not understand this reveals a great deal about you, nothing more.
Oh W, that goof, gotta love him, what a prankster, what a spoof. Wasn't even being groomed, Jeb was, and look at him now, a double-bagger. He's even shown up Poppy, the rogue. But, Jeb's gone and hitched himself to the burgeoning demographic; he's done his due diligence, very prudent. So it's a bit problematic for Newtie.
That explains the media splash, Newt's got some ground to make up. The hot air's coming out of the warmist scam a little too soon, so he's calculated the dire need of a new gravy train to ride. Looks like he found it, but he's uncharacteristically behind the curve.
It's a horse race.
I share that comfort. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and was in my 40s before finding my way back, but I’m here and glad. This inter-denominational squabbling over this saddens me. The man made a choice for his own reasons.
Welcome home Newt. You join a long list of individuals who abandoned heresy for the fullness of Truth found in His Church.
I do pray he’s found Christ and not just the Church. He sounds sincere about it anyway.
That’s not true. I know several born again Catholics who love the Church, have chosen to stay in it. Born Again means you have chosen to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life and save you. What’s the problem with that? Only born again believers will enter the Kingdom of God.
May I ask, Why?
As a practicing Catholic, I can tell you that there are good things about being Catholic, but being “validated” is not one of them. People don’t fall all over visitors or newbies in the Catholic Church. Anybody who thinks the Catholic Church will “validate” him in any way, is delusional.
THAT!!! is funny...
It really does not matter which church you belong to as long as you believe.
Me too.
Believe what? In God? Then Muslims and Jews are good, theoretically. In Christ? Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are in good shape.
C'mon now. That statement defies your handle.
Every true Catholic is born again at his baptism, which is what John 3:5 is talking about.
Newt is a has been. He lacks moral character. The pope won’t help him.
Wow Newbie....that was REALLY DEEP!!
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